May 19

May 19, 2013

 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told the story of a car ride he and his brother, AD, took from Atlanta to Chattanooga, Tenn. For some reason the other car drivers were very discourteous that night. Hardly any of the them dimmed their lights when they passed by. Martin remembered very vividly that AD had looked over and in a tone of anger said, "I know what I'm going to do. When the next car that comes along here refuses to dim his lights, I'm going to fail to dim mine and pour them on in all of their power." Martin quickly responded, "Oh no, don't do that. There will be too much light on this highway, and it will end up in mutual destruction for all. Somebody got to have some sense on this highway."

 

Dr King was right. Someone has to break the cycle. Culture has programmed all of us on how to respond to someone pouring on the lights. Here is the cycle:

You blind me… I'll blind you.

You disrespect me… I'll disrespect you.

You hurt me… I'll hurt you.

You hate me… I'll hate you.

Whether it's nations, communities, racial groups, political parties or individuals, someone has to have the sense to break the cycle.

 

Today in our reading we see the wisdom of a woman breaking the cycle and becoming a peacemaker. Her influence saved the lives of an entire family and preserved the reputation of a future king.

 

1 Samuel 25:18-19 Abigail lost no time. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins and two hundred cakes of pressed figs, and loaded them on donkeys. Then she told her servants, "Go on ahead; I'll follow you." But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

 

This situation started with her husband pouring the lights on David. In return, David was going to pour the lights on with 400 angry men. So how does one unarmed woman negotiate with 400 angry men? Food!!!! She doesn't show up empty handed; she shows up prepared with a feast of food.

 

Not only did she have the looks, but she also had the brains. Peacemakers need to be wiser than haters. Haters are fueled by emotions, vengeance, and reactions. Peacemakers are clear thinkers, planners, strategists, and resourceful people who are calm and level-headed.

 

The lesson from Abigail is directed right to my heart. My kids always accuse me of overreacting. I plead guilty to the charge. But I have become a better peacemaker in recent years. I am still working on it. I just need to remember that when people pour the lights on, my best reaction is to ask God to give me wisdom and bake a cake.